Aeroplane safety device



J. R. DRUMMAN AND T. MIECZEJESKI. AEROPLANE 'SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 3, 1920. 1,371,203.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

J. R. DRUMMAN AND T. MIECZEJESKI.

AEROPLANE SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 8, I920.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921 2 SHEE'lS-SH EET 2- and mylfigg'wi l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASPER B. DBUMMAN AND TONY MIEGZEJESKI, OF ROSEMONT, WEST VIRGINIA.

AEBOPLAN E SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

Application filed November 8, 1920. Serial No. 422,591.

I Toallwhomitmay concern:

- Be it known that we, JASPER R. DRUMMAN and Tom' Mmoznmsxr, citizens of the United States of America, residing at mont, in the county of Taylor and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification..

The object of the invention is to provide a parachute or buoying attachment or emergency use in connection with aeroplanes and similar crafts, designed under normal conditions to be housed in an inconspicuous and unobstructive relation to the body of the car in position for momentary extension into operative position to sustain or buo the craft inthe event of injury to the propel ing or supporting mechanism thereof, to the end that should the normal flying mechanism of the car fail to operate while the craft is in the air, the safety appliance may be utilized to sustain the car or modify the rate of descent under conditions enabling the 0 erator to retain control thereof and thus e ect a safe landing; and with this object in view the invention consists in a construction, and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an aeroplane provided with a safety appliance embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same showing in in their extended or inflated position and in dotted lines in their folded or normal po-.

erators station which is indicated at 12, I

and designed to be so positioned with reference to the body of the car as to afford a substantial support for the same when 1nflated or extended as indicated in Fig. 2, said Rose- Y full lines the balloons.

inflatable bags or balloons being preferably of the inverted conical form shown and arranged in cylindrical seats 10, 11 and 11"; y

, force them from their normal folded positions within the seats into the extended or inflated form affording a displacement sufficlent to either support the car or carry a sufficient portion of, the weight thereof to enable the operator to maintain the equilibrium of the craft while making a'descent and landing.

In the construction illustrated there is rovided a reservoir 13 preferably consistmg of a plurality of chambers or compartments 13 and 13 connected by an equalizing pipe 14 for-maintaining an equal pressure in both compartments and arranged in balanced relation to the longitudinal axis of the body of the car, and a compressor 15 of any suitable mechanical construction connected by a feed pipe 16' with the reservoir and preferably obtaining a supply of gas with which to charge the reservoir from an exhaust chamber 17 with which communicates the exhaust pipe 18 of the motor 19 by which the propeller 20 of the car is actuated. The gas under pressure is fed from the reservoir to the gas bags or balloons by means of a supply pipe 21 provided at a point adjacent to the operators station 12 with a controlling valve 2 and communicating with a distributing pipe 23 leading to nozzles 24 located in the apexes or lower ends of the balloon seats 10, 11 and 11". These nozzles are preferably of conical form having rims 25 over which the mouths of the bags forming the balloons are extended and are secured by bands 26 fitted with clamping bolts 27 Obviously when the buoyant effect of the safety appliance is desired, the reservoir having been pro erly charged to the desired pres sure by t e compressor, it is only necessary for the operator to open the valve 22 in order to inflate the balloons andcause them without further manipulation or attention to assume an operative position, and as the extension of the balloons is upward from the plane of the car it is obvious that they will serve to maintain the equilibrium of the latter whether the buoyant effect of the balloons is sufiicient to support the car or is wlie n required; so that the m y be br u ht i o ti a i n mem nta i :W i i t l .i ll Q g Cy requiring their, use

sf to tli iis afford thefopejrator' oppbr 1. 1 A tun ty lt'o either repair'his; :m chanism and a valve which is also arranged within convenient reach of the operators station.

The inflatable bag or balioon seats are of sufiicient capacity to house the bags when not innseso' that they do not project beyond the contour of the car and afford no obstruction to the said seats serveto progress of the car, but hold the bags or balloons in proper position for c immediate inflation jres'tor'e to an operative condition or, effect a safe select.

, cylindrical seats,

mo' uthsof the gas bags safety appliance v engagiement {between the qz les,

Having described the invention, claimed as new and useful is I In a safety appliance for aeroplanes and similar craft, the combination with the body of the same provided on its top with spaced of inflatable gas bags arranged in said seats, a gas storage reservoir, a valve controlled supply pipe connected with the storage tank, a. distributing pipe connected with the supply pipe, conical what is shaped nozzles disposed in the bottoms of said seats concentric therewith and having rims. over which the 'mouths of the gas bags are extended, the distributing pipeconnecting with said nozzlesg bands securing the to said nozzles and bolts :to effect firm ags and the an v lv ce lled t t rip connected with the distributing pipe. as hereinshown and for the purpose speeified afli'x our signa JASPER Bi DRUMMAN; u t VTONXMIEQZKEJESKIA provided ,with clamping 

